Car-brake



(No Model.)

J. F. MALLINCKRODT. GAB, BRAKE.

No. 329,465. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

g/vfsfs r 1 In ffl/avrai L Qwmm i.)

ATTORNEY N. PETERS, muwmhngnpw. wnmingmn. D. c.

DETTE@ STATES JOHN F. MALLINOKRODT,

FETENT 'Errea OF DENVER, COLOR ADO.

CAR-BRAKE.

ESPECFCATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,465, dated November 3, 1855.

Applicalion lcd Xoveinbcr 10, ISS-l. Renewed September 1G, 1t85. Seliil No. 177,305. (No llride.)

' f"o all whom, it muy concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN F. MnLLiNcKRoD'r, of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-brakes, particularly to brakes adapted to use in connection with horsecars. Hitherto when the brake-chain has given out or tensionrods have broken street-cars, as well as steam railway-cars, have met with serious damage. Especially has this been the case when the car has been running down an incline, resulting in some instances in fatally injuring passengers, and very often ruining the usefulness of the horses and damaging the cars.

The object of my present invention is to provide a system of brake mechanism in which the weight of the car will automatically put on brakes and hold them on until taken oft' by the positive exertion of the driver,thereby reversing the ordinary system, where the exertion of the driver is employed in putting on brakes; a further object being to provide a brake system in whichthere shall be an equal pressure exerted upon the several wheels,therebypreventing sliding` and the consequent flattening of the wheels; a further object being to provide a system which shall have a neat appearance, and which shall be durable and comparatively inexpensive; and with these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts,as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of my improved system, in sideelevalion,applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are enlarged detached views of parts.

A represents the bottom of a car, fulcrumed at a upon the opposite ends of two sets of levers,B. The levers B are preferably located beneath the outer edges ot' the bottom of the car and run longitudinally therewith. The fulcrums c are located at such distances from the ends of the car that they will sustain as nearly as possible equal portions ofthe entire weight. The adjacent ends of each set of levers lap eachV other, as shown at Z), and are locked against spreading apart laterally by a grooved roller, O, the edges of which lap over thelaterally-opposite edges of the lapped ends of the levers. The rollers G are mounted on the crank-arms d of the shaft D, the latter beingjournaled in suitable bearings, E, secured to the bottom of the car. The shaft D is squared between its bearings, and a depend ing arm, F, is provided with an oblong open slot, f, at one end, adapted to snugly receive the shaft D therein. The arm F is locked rigidly on the shaft by a draw-bolt, e, which extends through the branches of the arm formed by the slot f, a suitable packing, c, being inserted between the bolt and shaft when the latter is in position in the slot. A short connecting-rod, G, forked at cach end, is pivotally secured to the lower end ofarm F and to a live-lever, H, lying horizontally between the brake-beams K K. lhe end of the long arm of the lever H is pivotally connected with the central port-ion of the brakebeain K by the rod or bar h, and the middle portion of the said long arm of the lever H is pivotally connected with the central portion of the brake beam K by the rod or bar lc and the lever I. The lever l is pivotally secured at one end to a depending standarda', rigidly fastened to the bottom of the car, and at its opposite end to the brake-beam K. The rod or bar k is pivotally secured to the lever I at or near its middle portion.

The object of connecting the livellever H indirectly with the beam K is to equalize the pressure against the front and rear wheels when the brakes are applied. By noting the points on the lever H where the rods connecting I the lever with the beams K and K are attached it will be seen that were the lever connected directly with each ofthe beams there would be twice as much pressure exerted upon the beam K as upon the beam K. This would be a very serious objection, as it would be apt to set the wheels acted upon by K while the wheels acted upon by K were allowed to rotate, thereby causing the former to slide on the rails and become flattened, as well as rendering tlie surfaces ot' the rails slippery and vatthe platforms of the cars.

difcult to stop on. By inserting the thirdclass lever I between the rod k and the beam K the power of 7c is reduced one-half, thereby rendering the pressure equal upon the two beams. If the bar 7a were attached nearer the end or nearer the fulcrum of the lever H, there would of course be a lesser or greater inequality between the pressures exerted upon the two beams, and to equalize the samethe rod k would be attached nearer the movable end of I, or nearer the fulcrum end, as the case might be. The short arm of lever H is connected with one end of an equal-armed lever, L, pivoted to a standard, Z, by the rod M. rIhe opposite ends of the leverL are connected by draw-rods m and chains m with the brakecranks N, whereby either brake-crank operates u; on the short arm of lever Hin drawing the brake beams toward one another and thereby taking off brakes. The car-wheels O are mounted upon suitable axles, o, the ends of the axles being secured in vertically-yielding boxes I), attached to the levers B. The boxes are preferably constructed as shown, having a vertically-yielding motion against the tension of spiral springs p,secured on the guidebolts Q, the lower ends of the bolts being held in position by a bracket brace or frame, q. The brakes are held off by the brake-cranks When it is desired to stop the car, the brake-cranks are released and theweight of the car and its load is exerted on the ends of the levers B, thereby elevating the lapped ends of the said levers, rotating the shaft D, and by means of arm F, connectingrod G, live-lever H, and rods h and k pressing the brakes S, secured to the brakebeamsK K, against the wheels O. This pressnre will act upon the several wheels simultaneously and with equal force. A further very important advantage is that the pressurewill be in proportion to the load, thus requiring no more care or trouble in stopping a loaded car than an empty one, and should the draw-bar or chain give way the brakes will be immediately and automatically applied, thereby enhancing the safety of the passengers and preventing injury to horses and cars.

It is evident that my system is capable of numerous modifications by changing the forms and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly tothe construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with two sets of levers fulcrumed on the axles, and a car supported on the outer ends of the levers, of a crank` shaft journaled to the bottom of the car, the cranked ends of said shaft rest-ing in contact with the inner ends of the supporting-levers, a pair of brake-beams suspended beneath the car and connected by a system of levers, and means for communicating the action of the supportinglevers to the crankshaft and the action of the crank shaft to the system of levers, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with a set of levers ful crumed on the axles, and a car supported on the outer ends of the levers, of a set of brakes suspended in a suitable position beneath the car, a system of levers connecting the brakes, and mechanism connecting the inner or free ends of the supporti 11g-levers with the system of levers connecting the brakes, whereby the Weight of the car, operating through the supporting-levers, moves the brakes simultaneously in opposite directions, substantially as set forth. l

3. The combinatiomwith a set of levers fulcrumed on the axles, and a car supported on the outer ends of the levers, of a crank-shaft journaled to the car and connected with the ,inner or free ends of the supporting-levers, and adapted to be rotated by the motion of the adjacent ends of the levers,and aset of brakes operated by an arm secured to the rotary shaft, substantially as set for-th.

4. In a brakesystem, a set of levers arranged on opposite sides of the car, pivotally secured near their outer ends on the axles,'and adapted to support a car on their extreme outer ends and operate-the brakes by the motion of their adjacent ends, substantially as set forth.

5. In a brake system, aset of levers pivotally secured on the axles, adapted to support a car on their opposite ends, .and having their adjacent ends locked against lateral displacement by a flanged roller on the brake-operating shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car-brake, the combination,with the bodyv of the car, supporting-axles, and axlebolxes, of levers4 supported near their outer ends on springs secured near their outer ends to the axle-boxes,the short arms of said levers engaging the car and the longer arms connected with the brake-actuating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

7. In a car-brake, the combinatiomwith the car-body and supporting-axles, of axle-boxes and levers supporting the car at their outer ends and connected with the braking mechan ism at theirin ner ends interposed between the axle-boxes and car-body, and supported in a yielding manner on the axle-boxes, substantially as set forth.

8. In a car-brake, the combinatiomwith the carbody and su pporting-axles, of brake-actuating levers,and axle-boxes suspended from or secured to said levers, substantially as set forth. Y

9. In a car-brake, the combination, with a car body supported upon brake actuating levers, and axle-boxes secured in vertical adjustment on guide-bolts set in the levers, of springs interposed between the boxes and levers, substantially as set forth.

10. In a car-brake, the combination, with brake-actuating levers fulcrumed on the axles in a yielding vertical adjustment, and a car- IOO IIO

IZO

body supported on the outer ends of the levers, of a crank-shaft journaled to the car and connected with the inner or free ends of said actuating-levers, and adapted to transmit the motion of the levers to the brakes, substantially as set forth.

ll. In a car-brake, the combination, with a vertically-movable oar-body and a set of brakebeams connected thereto, ofa live-lever actuated by the movementof the car-body, and mechanism connecting lthe lever directly with one beam and indirectly with the other beam, whereby the pressure upon the two beams is equalized, substantially as set forth.

12. In a car-brake, the combination, with a vertically-movable car-body,brakebeams suspendedtherefrom, and live-lever connected with the brake-beams and actuated by the movement of the car, of draw-rods and chains connecting the live-lever with brake-cranks at each end of the car, for the purpose substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this 35 specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

, JOHN F. MALLINCKRODT.

Vtnesses:

JOHN LEWIs, J. GRATZ BROWN. 

